Stern After Election: Ready 'To Get To Work'

Steve Stern (Photo/Facebook/Steve Stern)

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

For the first time in more than three decades, New York State’s 10th Assembly District will have a Democratic representative.

Democrat Steve Stern defeated Republican Janet Smitelli in Tuesday’s special election, according to unofficial results from the state Board of Elections.

With all districts reporting, Stern earned 5,748 of the 9,723 votes cast, or just over 59 percent.

Stern, 49, also ran on the Independence, Reform, Women’s Equality and Working Families lines.

Stern lives in Dix Hills and is fresh off a six-term stint in the Suffolk Legislature, where he represented portions of Dix Hills and Melville.

Stern acknowledged that his victory has significance at both the local and national levels, and that it could have implications on the November Congressional midterm elections.

“This was an important victory for us locally, but I also believe that the residents of the 10th Assembly District are very much now a part of the national story as well,” Stern said

Smitelli, who earned 3,969 votes, congratulated her opponent in a Facebook post Tuesday night.

“I’d like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to my opponent Steve Stern upon his victory,” she wrote. “During this campaign we discussed the issues and got the community engaged. I wish him the best of luck.”

Stern attributed the win to the “tremendous work” of his campaign volunteers, and his “positive message.”

Stern will take his seat in the State Assembly, where Democrats currently hold a 63-seat majority over Republicans.

Stern said he is looking forward to “sitting on committees” and “working to bring state resources” back to the communities in the 10th district.

Stern said he spoke to Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) following his win and that he will be sworn in Monday upstate in Albany.

“I’m looking forward to getting to work right away,” Stern said.

The state’s 10th Assembly District has been represented by a Republican since 1983, when Toni Rettaliata was re-elected to serve the district’s current configuration. The seat was most recently held by Republican Chad Lupinacci, who left the post this year after he was elected Huntington Town Supervisor.

The district encompasses much of the western portion of the Town of Huntington, topping out up north in Lloyd Harbor and running south from Cold Spring Harbor along the Nassau border to Melville and parts of East Farmingdale. To the east, the district spans portions of Dix Hills, Elwood and Greenlawn.

There are 85,925 active registered voters in the district, according to the state Board of Elections.

With Andrew Wroblewski

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information at 4 p.m., April 26, 2018.